


No Longer Alone.

by corrupt_vault



Series: Sole Survivors Washingroe [1]
Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Climbing Class if you squint, Dr Hill is a Bad Therapist, Good Boy Wolfie, Half-Wendigo Josh Washington, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cannibalism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Josh Washington Has Mental Health Issues, Josh Washington Lives, M/M, Mike has emotions and that's okay, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Until Dawn (Video Game), Schizophrenic Josh Washington, Sole Survivors Mike and Josh, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23368117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corrupt_vault/pseuds/corrupt_vault
Summary: Mike recalls that dreaded night like a reoccurring nightmare- except that it was very real, and he barely made it out with his life. He recalls just how many of his friends died directly in front of him, and almost wishes he could've been one of them. The weight of the night crashes down on him like an avalanche, and he finds himself lost.Late one night, he gets a call that makes his heart jump into his throat.
Relationships: Mike Munroe/Josh Washington, Past Chris Hartley/Josh Washington
Series: Sole Survivors Washingroe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769587
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	No Longer Alone.

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to publish this on the anniversary of Hannah and Beth's disappearance, but I really do think I lost track of time, and the purpose behind the story. So this is a rewrite of what I had originally written, with a lot of the old pieces copied and pasted in. You can rip Mike/Josh out of my undead fingers.  
> Little bit of the basics, uh, there's a mention of Climbing Class. Mike shot Emily in the basement. Wolfie's still alive (and came with Mike instead of leaving). Josh is referenced to have schizophrenia... and that basically sums up a lot of what I'll be working with. As well, Dr. Hill is a bad therapist, okay?  
> Please enjoy, feel free to check out my other Until Dawn work!

“ _If I had just been, just a little faster… I could have saved her. So it’s my fault. I’m the reason Jess is dead _.”__

Her blood was staining his shirt, he couldn’t imagine her alive no matter how hard he tried. His words felt like ashes in his throat, dry and empty from the exhaustion that threatened to overtake him. Dawn had not risen fast enough to end his night of terrors, which was only being elongated by the officers who stopped at nothing to interview him. His fists clenched in his lap as he reflected on his answer. 

He was unconsciously aware of the tears that pricked the corners of his eyes, regardless of how hard he tried holding up his strong-front. There was a weight on his shoulders that he couldn’t quite describe, except that it was crushing and not relenting. If he could, he would close his eyes and wake up back in the cabin with Jessica, who would be alive and more than happy to wake up in his embrace. 

Instead the inky blackness behind his eyelids only brought death and gore, conjured throughout the hours that had passed. The past few hours sat uneasily on his conscience, settling in the pit of his stomach like a boulder. As he recollected the events of the night, he knew how badly he had fucked up in some places without any reason. The proof of his actions rested in the lodge, destroyed along with the wendigos. 

And the bodies of some of his friends, as he recalled with a bitterness in his mouth. If the interviewer was speaking with him, he was no longer listening, and instead closed his eyes for a brief moment. Sam’s face flickered in his vision, lifeless, with blood spilling from the corner of her mouth as her eyes rolled upwards. Mike visibly flinched, wrapping his arms around himself as he tried to look up. 

The light in the interview room was bright, making the interviewer nothing but a vague silhouette behind a camera. There was a faint buzzing sound emanating from the bright light, which felt like water splashing in his ears compared to the various loud noises of the night. Silence compared nothing to the blood-curdling screams of the monsters and roaring flames he had playing on repeat. 

“What about Josh? Do you know what happened?” 

_Josh _… The name was bitter on his tongue, a phantom of a memory from hours ago. What had become of Josh?__

“ _Josh helped us, and then… fuck, man… that thing.. okay? The Wendigo. It came out of the darkness and it just… I don’t know… I heard screaming- I got out of there. There’s no point in both of us dying _.”__

It was just another lost life of a Washington kid sitting on his conscience. The previous year had been spent dealing with the guilt of Hannah and Beth’s assumed deaths- why would Josh be any different? Mike ran his hand over his face, mostly to disguise the fact that he looked like he was going to cry. Three recent deaths all easing their way into his mind- all his fault, all resting on his shoulders. 

Sam’s death couldn’t have been his fault- how was he supposed to know what Sam was going to do? How could he guess that Hannah would immediately kill her instead of hurting her? Instead of giving her a chance to survive? He couldn’t blame himself for what happened to her- but why didn’t he do anything about it? 

“Do you believe that he’s dead?” 

“I… I don’t know, man- fuck.. Probably?… that thing was merciless.. The- the Wendigo, I mean.” 

The Wendigo- Hannah, as Sam theorized, attacked her own brother. On multiple occasions, Mike realized. It wouldn’t be so wrong for him to assume that she murdered her own brother in cold blood, after all it added to her merciless nature. Mike bit his lip, eyes averted to the floor. Part of him didn’t want to think that Josh was dead… but the other part didn’t want to imagine that the poor runt was sitting, freezing to death in the mine. 

That would mean that Josh was still alive, and trapped all alone with the decaying corpses of his friends surrounding him. The very thought of it made Mike feel uneasy. If he was lucky, any hope of Josh’s survival crashed and burned with Josh’s deteriorating mental state and inability to properly connect to reality. If he was lucky, Josh’s mind was too broken to fall prey to the spirit of the Wendigo. 

Except that Mike had listened as Josh was dragged away, screaming for his life, pleading for freedom, and kicking at the water. He could hear as he began to revert back into is twisted La-La-Land- and god, he could remember it like a fucking song. It could play word for word in the back of his mind, and he hated it. He hated that it was his fault. 

“Listen to me. It’s going to sound stupid, or-or crazy or whatever… but you need to go down into the mines. If Josh- fuck, if Josh is still alive, he might be down there.” 

It was the only shot he had, instead of drowning in the guilt of never knowing what became of him. If Josh had survived that encounter with the wendigo.. How much longer did he have to survive, freezing to death and starving? Maybe he’d give in and chow-down on one of his friend’s corpses. If this was the only chance he had at saving Josh from becoming one of those monsters, he would take it. 

Or if Josh was lucky enough, Hannah made his death quick and painless like everyone else. Mike had witnessed first-hand what she was capable of doing, on multiple occasions, so it seemed likely to him that she would make it quick. He rubbed his face, looking at the silhouette of the interviewer. He’d kill to go back home and sleep in his bed, without the fear of a monster appearing behind him. 

It would be easier for Mike if he played into the role of blaming Josh for everything that happened. Sure, he had originally blamed Jessica’s death on Josh’s psychotic actions before he knew about the wendigo, but Josh himself decided to bring everyone back up, didn’t he? Which indirectly resulted in the deaths of all of his friends. The weight could be lifted off of Mike’s shoulders if he accepted that. 

But it was scarcely close to the truth, and he knew better than to blame a potential dead friend for the actions that occured on the mountain. Josh couldn’t have known about the monsters, right? Mike only wanted someone else to blame so the weight fell from his shoulders, and Josh… well, Josh was the first person he thought of. He wanted Josh to be alive so that he didn’t have to accept that another friend died by his actions. 

It was all a bad dream, except he couldn’t open his eyes. 

“And the wolf we found you with? What about him?” 

“He’s… friendly. I think.. I think he was a pet of the guy who lived up there. Can… Will I be allowed to keep him?” 

The question sounded a bit ridiculous, given the circumstances that Mike was being placed under. An interview with the police, and he was asking if it was acceptable to keep a wolf as a pet. 

The next few moments were a blur, with Mike blanking out of the conversation and being unable to hear the response to his question. A small grey creature came into his blurry view, and he reached out a hand to grasp at the sharp fur. Somehow he and the furry creature were escorted out of the room, and Mike ended up with a business card in his pocket. He recounted how many of his friends had gone up. 

Names, family phone numbers, possibilities of being alive… any information he could give. Wolfie whistled beneath his touch. His head was pounding, his body wanting to pull him away. He wanted to go back home, away from all of these people who wanted nothing but answers. All answers that he didn’t exactly have. Of course, they had a few more questions about Emily and his actions towards her. 

As crazy as he sounded describing the wendigo situation, he was the only voice that they could rely on. The only voice left alive under the circumstances of the incident. 

~~~ 

Mike slept with the lights on for the first few nights, as embarrassed as he felt about it. However whenever he glanced around the corner, he thought he saw it- Hannah, the wendigo. She couldn’t have been there- he witnessed the bitch get torched with the lodge. That didn’t matter, it was his mind playing tricks on him, tormenting him with his own guilt. It was all an illusion- a sick illusion, or some weird flash of PTSD. 

He wished that the screams of the wendigo would stop ringing in his ears, playing in his mind on repeat like an old black and white movie. He was in the shoes of the main character, except the wendigo wasn’t a part of the script, and the other actors actually died horribly. Mike somehow managed to escape the horrors, as if nothing had happened to him, and he could simply brush it off by talking about it. 

He called it bullshit. As he downed the final bit of his coffee, his eyes drifted over the rim of his cup, fixated on a bird that sat on the railing of his balcony. A greying bird, with a patch of red on its head- maybe it was because he didn’t care about nature and it’s bullshit, but it felt.. New. He was opening his eyes for the first time in weeks, and pulling himself out of the pit he’d dug himself into. 

A pit filled with agony, sleepless nights, and… eventually, a dog to accompany him. Mike’s other hand was placed gently behind the ears of the wolf, scratching absentmindedly as he stared out the window. “You and me, Wolfie.. You and me..” He mumbled, setting his cup back on the island. Wolfie tilted his head up, looking at Mike curiously. His eyes spoke thousands of words, but his wagging tail meant happiness. 

Mike smiled grimly as the bird dropped down, and flew away. 

~~~ 

Two weeks after the initial incident, and Mike finally, and begrudgingly, accepted the opportunity to speak to the therapist. In his mind, he only accepted because he was hoping that the man would be able to help him clear his mind. As a therapist, Dr. Hill had to have some idea of what he was going through- right? It would give him an excuse to try and reason with his thoughts, or some shit like that. 

He could try and explain why he wanted to blame Josh for the situation, though he was sure that it would get thrown back in his face. The office itself felt comforting, but Mike didn’t let down his guard- as a first time for him seeing a therapist, this all felt so new. And as terrifying as it was, it was nothing in comparison to the events on Blackwood Mountain. He caught a brief glance of the man, and couldn’t even compare him to the terrifying wendigo. 

Dr. Hill put on a grim smile when he sat down, crossing his legs and leaning back in his chair. Mike stared at him almost expectantly, as if he knew what he was going to say. “Mike Munroe, yes?” Dr. Hill asked, raising his eyebrows when he nodded. “I’ve heard some things about you, Mike. Whether they are good or bad is strictly… confidential.” Mike furrowed his brows, sinking back into the uncomfortable chair. 

It looked much softer before he sat in it. “Now before we begin, we will address the obvious.. I am only here to help you talk about what you experienced, and what you are experiencing. We cannot change the events that occured, but we can learn to… approach it in a different light.” Dr. Hill offered a grim smile, taking a sip from his coffee cup. Mike bit back a laugh, coughing into his hand instead. 

This man might have been a therapist, but he was awfully blunt. As if Mike didn’t already know that he couldn’t fix the past, but he hated it all. “They were all your close friends, yes?” Dr. Hill asked, frowning. Mike nodded, rubbing his face with his hand, and finally acknowledging how his stubble was growing out. He contemplated shaving when he got back home- but he knew that he would forget. He’d take one step through that door- 

And there would be Hannah, watching him. She was only just a mirage, an image of what she once was as a wendigo. She wasn’t really there, only a memory from the back of Mike’s mind- bloody, and staring at him with hunger in her clouded eyes. “We… yeah, most of us were close, yeah.” He scoffed, leaning on the armrest of his chair. All except for most of the girls, right? Jess and Em spent the whole time arguing… 

Maybe they were right to. “Yes… and I am terribly sorry for your losses. I.. imagine that must be fairly difficult to handle. And I can guess that you don’t want to talk about that just yet.” He shook his head, sighing. _Talk about Josh _. “Did you know Joshua Washington?” He suddenly asked, watching the surprise that settled on the other man’s face until he cleared his throat, shifting in his chair.__

“Joshua Washington… I am supposed to keep information about-” “I know, I know, confidential shit- but did you know him?” The therapist reeled back at the question, glancing up as he clicked his tongue. “Josh… was indeed a patient of mine. I can say that we got to know each other well over the time that he was seeing me..” Mike bit his lip. “He was a good friend of yours, yeah?” He nodded. 

Dr. Hill hummed, shaking his head with his lips pursed. “Shame… such a young life taken away…” Mike had to force back the sudden feeling of guilt that shook his entire body. It wasn’t like he was being forced to tell Dr. Hill that he blamed himself- he didn’t need to mention it. It was a minor detail that affected him daily, surely he wouldn’t have to mention it, right? “Why are you asking about Joshua? 

“Were you looking to talk about him?” _Shit. Fuck shit _\- “Cause I-uh, I was…” Mike sighed, nervously running his fingers through his mussed hair. “I feel like I fucked up, I guess.” Before he could stop them, the words spilled out onto the table. Dr. Hill eyed him curiously, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk. “Josh and I- I guess we weren’t that close, but we were friends.. er, I-I thought we were..”__

“And what made you doubt your friendship?” Mike looked up through his lashes, his lips setting into a frown. “Well we uh, we had a falling out.. I think.. before his passing. Actually, the night of his.. yeah, you.. yeah..” He shook his head, blowing out a sigh. “I guess we got to know each other a bit better than I expected in one night. He showed me something I didn’t.. expect and then I fucked it all up.” 

Dr. Hill’s curious gaze continued to fall on Mike. The dark-haired male cleared his throat. “I.. fuck, I don’t know, okay? I guess I feel guilty about his death? I feel like I caused it- I don’t know.” He still held that glimmer of hope in the back of his mind- Josh was out there somewhere, and the police were going to find him in due time. They still had maybe a week before Josh could potentially turn into a flesh-eating monster- 

No. No no, that wouldn’t happen. Josh would turn up okay, and Mike wouldn’t have to feel alone. “Mike.. what happened that night to make you feel this way? That is, if you wish to talk. I won’t force you.” The tone of Dr. Hill’s voice made him feel angered, or at least more than before. He wanted to lash out at him, knock some sense into that smug look of his… and he’d felt this way frequently. 

Ever since he got off of the damn mountain alone. Why did he of all people deserve to survive, while his friends perished. His friends, who all had hopes and dreams for their future- and why did he let Josh do it and get away with it? “I did some shitty things to him while we were up there. A simple “sorry” didn’t really cut it.. and I don’t get the chance to make it up to him.” The doctor nodded slowly, grimly. 

“Michael.. I can sympathize with what you’re going through.. Losing a friend, or friends, it’s never easy, and I can only imagine the internal turmoil.” He crossed his legs, wetting his lips. “The guilt you feel towards those events.. it’s normal, I assure you. And this feeling of regret, yes?” Mike nodded. “This guilt and regret is building up inside of you.. over some things you had no control over.” 

Did he not have a choice? Was Josh destined for that fate since they arrived on the mountain? “We cannot take back the actions that occurred.. but we can learn to deal with them as we talk over time.” Mike nodded slowly, lowering his head. It wasn’t the greatest advice he’s ever gotten from someone, but this was a trained professional.. he had to know what he was talking about, right? 

~~~

At 2am, almost a month after the incident and the official statement on Josh’s disappearance, a call came through. Regardless of how tired Mike felt moments ago, the voice and words that came through the receiver made his stomach jump into his throat.

“We found him.”

Josh had been missing for weeks, with no food, water, or warmth… and Mike had a lot of fear regarding what state he could be in. After he hung up, Wolfie poked his head up from beside him, huffing when Mike scratched behind his ears. “They’ve got him, Wolfie.” He mumbled, sleep heavy in his voice as he flung his legs over the side of the bed. The canine laid his head back down.

Mike could hear his blood rushing in his ears as his adrenaline began to kick in, pondering the countless fates Josh could be facing. The bastard was lucky to be alive- one of the only remaining teens from the Blackwood incident, and the likelihood of him becoming a saw-toothed bastard was uncomfortably high.

Mike’s arrival to the police station at 3am was filled with a bitter flavour, but a hopeful aftertaste. Josh was still alive- most likely a cannibalistic monster, but nonetheless alive. His heart pounded in his ears, whether it be from how nervous he felt or from the adrenaline, he wasn’t sure. He tried to make up a scenario in his mind where Josh wasn’t transforming into one of those monsters-

Each resulted in him originally saving him from his fate in the mine. He chewed on his bottom lip, slipping his hands into his pockets as one of the officers led him to the interview room. What he expected to see was blood everywhere, and some crazed half-wendigo jumping around the walls. He tried hiding the surprise on his face when he was greeted with the half-wendigo sitting quietly.

In fairness, his thin wrists were tightly strapped to the chair, keeping him bound under the bright lights of the interview room which he looked less than pleased to be under. His clouded eyes were trained on the interviewer, until he had heard the door click open. Green eyes shifted to the doorway, hungrily watching the officers.

And now, watching Mike. Mike almost jumped out of his skin at the speed that Josh’s eyes flickered over, widening curiously and hungrily. Josh was watching him as if he were his prey, as if waiting to pounce with fervent accuracy, only to tear him apart ravenously. The idea of it made Mike’s stomach lurch, and he had to swallow the bile he felt rising in the back of his throat; He would greatly prefer it if his friend didn’t eat him.

Though still, the half-wendigo sat silently, his mouth parted with either unspoken words or insatiable hunger. Underneath the mask of monster teeth and cloudy eyes, Mike swore that he still saw his friend. Even if it was just a shard, he still saw some part of Josh in those hazy green eyes, and bloodstained face and teeth. The look in Josh’s eyes spoke more words than he ever could.

_Help _. Mike shifted onto one foot, leaning against the doorway. Only now he was beginning to feel the tense air in the room, bringing the temperature to a boil in the uncomfortable silence. He uneasily tugged on the collar of his shirt, breaking into a sweat as he tried to focus on Josh’s eyes and not the jagged teeth sticking out of his cheek. And then Josh’s eyes flickered with something that caught him off-guard.__

Recognition. He _recognized _Mike. Trapped in the mind of a cannibalistic monster, and he could still recognize his friend. “He responded to his name when he first came in.” The interviewer explained, leaning away when Josh’s gaze snapped to her. Mike’s throat felt like he had been swallowing dirt, then trying to force it back out. He was sweating- had he been sweating since he came in?__

His eyes followed the jagged and bloodied pattern of Josh’s sharp teeth, his own teeth clenching to where his jaw was beginning to hurt. The blood splatters on his outfit had been there since the prank, so why was there more? The half-wendigo let out a low growl, his head snapping in the direction of the doorway, where Mike stood frozen. Mike’s surroundings darkened, and he shivered. 

Suddenly, he was back in the lodge, staring down the maw of a bloodthirsty and twisted version of Hannah, whose skin was pulled taut over her bones, and eyes scanning for movement. His feet glued to the ground, body tense under her lifeless stare. _You move, you die _. That was how it had worked with Sam, wasn’t it? She wasn’t still enough. She was afraid of dying like everyone else.__

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her silhouette, standing frozen in place as she tried to grab Hannah’s attention. The wendigo snapped to face her, it’s ear-piercing scream ringing through the lodge. How had everything gone so wrong? What had he done wrong to make all of his friends pay with their blood? He clenched his clammy fists, swallowing down the bile rising in his throat. 

Sam’s fatal mistake replayed directly in front of him, and against his better judgement he failed to close his eyes. He felt two hands on his shoulders, but all he could do was rip himself away as he witnessed Hannah’s long nails wrap around Sam’s jaw, her other talons stabbing through her abdomen. 

There was a voice in his conscience screaming, a distraction from Sam’s blood-curdling shriek. The voice was pleading- Mike did not recognize it. They were… asking for him. Talking to him- grabbing him gently by the shoulders. Their words were nothing more than radio static, but he found his breathing slowing down- how long had he been hyperventilating? He was following a rhythm. 

A rhythm he couldn’t hear, but followed regardless. He could hear his heartbeat pounding heavily in his ears, his body growing warmer, and his surroundings slowly getting lighter. Unconsciously he brought his hands up to the gentle grip on his shoulders- the woman in the interview room. When he blinked a few times and looked over in the corner, he saw Josh staring at him. 

His green eyes were full of fear, and his arms were harshly pulling on his restraints. Through the radio static, Mike knew the woman was talking him through what had just happened, but he couldn’t give two shits. He wanted to take Josh, and get the fuck out of there. The look of absolute panic in Josh’s eyes only worsened that need, even though the panic came through a screen of monster teeth. 

“Mr. Munroe, is everything alright? Are you alright?” Finally the woman’s voice came clearly through the air. Mike’s eyes shifted back to her, his hands tugging her hands away from his shoulders. Somehow he had ended up on the floor, knees to his chest, and only now could he fully catch his breath. It had been nothing, really. Another flashback of a mistake he could have prevented if he had the guts to take Hannah down. 

Josh let out a disgruntled whine, tugging harder at his restraints. Both Mike and the interviewer watched him, holding their breath. No one here had witnessed a wendigo before, Mike realized, and therefore didn’t know what to expect. Either Josh was a wimp, or he was holding back, because Mike knew how powerful a full wendigo was. “I want to take him home.” Mike mumbled, biting down on his tongue. 

The police likely thought he was insane- first a wolf, now a saw-toothed monster. “I.. don’t think you’re ready for that. After what just occurred.” “I want to take him home.” Mike insisted. He didn’t care that they had accomplished nothing with Josh since his arrival- Mike was their only shot at learning anything. “I can take him home. Help him adapt. Maybe learn something from him when he’s ready.” 

Hesitance was clear on the woman’s face- either she didn’t have permission to allow him to walk out with a flesh-eating monster, or she had no other choice to get information. “We.. need Mr. Washington’s statement on what hap-“ “Take one look at that blood-stained asshat. Does he look like he’s in any condition to tell you his side of the story?” 

~~~ 

Mike took Josh home that night, to his own surprise. He assumed that the Washington’s gave the police some hush-money so that they wouldn’t release any information about their son being alive, or about how their son was now a terrifying monster. Josh said nothing during the entire car ride, but never stopped hanging on to some part of Mike- his jacket sleeve, his hand, or even his finger at one point. 

Mike hadn’t pointed it out, but he had observed how Josh’s furthest wrist was rubbed raw by his previous restraints, and considering how hard he fought against them, he could see why. 

Josh occasionally made some small noise as he stared out the window and into the night- it was the beginning of March, maybe one day the sun would fully make an entrance. Or maybe he had forgotten how the sun looked, because of how long he had spent in the dark. Mike could only guess how many days Josh had spent down there, looking for any sign of escape or sunlight- anything to help him. 

That help came too late, far too late to prevent anything. It did pique his curiosity though, being how they seemingly only went looking for Josh weeks after Mike suggested it. He thought it sounded dumb, thinking about how they decided to look a month after the initial report- as he glanced over at the half-wendigo, his curiosity was even more piqued. Though Josh hadn’t said a word, his eyes spoke for him. 

He looked scared and confused, like a puppy in a new location. His actions didn’t remind Mike of the old Josh- he was more like an actor wearing Josh’s mangled face and clothes. There was nothing about his face that reminded Mike of the old Josh- he could only see that glimmer of him in those fathomless green eyes. Josh was just another fucked up addition to the small, dysfunctional family Mike had started. 

It was himself, Wolfie, and now Josh. Mike wondered how Wolfie would react, seeing as he was likely trained to fight off the wendigo… and in this state, maybe Josh wasn’t stable enough to handle a dog… 

He pulled the car over to the side of the road, watching Josh’s eyes flicker over in the rear-view mirror. His taloned fingers dug into the worn-out sleeve of Mike’s jacket. The other male rubbed the bridge of his nose, releasing a deep sigh. If he played his cards right, it could work out for the best. Meaning Josh won’t attack Wolfie, Wolfie won’t attack Josh, and the small apartment will be filled with peace. 

With hesitance, he slid his hand down to take Josh’s within his own, squeezing it to reassure him that everything was alright. His hand felt cold to the touch, freezing against his skin. Some part of him felt almost grateful that Josh had turned into this- he wouldn’t have to suffer the hypothermia and frost-bite. But at the same time, he still felt the need to wrap the creature up in a heated blanket as soon as they got to his apartment. 

Josh made a soft noise, leaning closer to the car window as Mike swerved back into the road. His grip tightened on Mike’s hand as he pressed his forehead to the window, eyes trained on the dark terrain. Mike eyed him curiously, swallowing down the need to restrain him in case the wendigo decided to break the glass and bolt out of the car, vanishing into the woods. Instead, Josh stayed unmoving. 

From the corner of his eye, Mike caught a glimpse of Josh’s breath fogging up the window, which made him snort. Although Josh was likely not aware of what he was doing, Mike found something calming in how human the action felt. How it reminded him of the Josh of the past, when they’d ride around in Chris’s van, ignoring the outside world. Mike chewed the inside of his cheek, scowling at himself. 

Damn, he missed those days with Chris, and he would continue to miss them. Mike exhaled deeply, eyeing Josh curiously. Even under the mask of a monster, Josh had to know what happened to their friends- he had seen their bodies down in the mine, and Mike was there with him. Mike could argue with himself that Josh was definitely not in the right headspace to let it sink in. 

But then again, Josh had spent quite some time alone down there… trapped in his fucked-up mindspace. He didn’t notice his grip tightening on the half-wendigo’s wrist until he growled, pulling Mike out of his thoughts and bringing his attention back to the road. “Sorry man…” He mumbled, almost not realizing that Josh probably didn’t understand him. He smacked his head against his headrest. 

Josh huffed, turning his attention back to the woods they were passing, his tongue drifting across his teeth. Had he always had so many? Slowly he leaned further into the comfort of the slightly worn seat, laying his head back in between the seatbelt and the headrest. Though Josh found it somewhat comfortable, Mike thought it looked like the most uncomfortable position in the world. 

Just as he opened his mouth to speak up about it, Josh’s arm went lax in his grip, eyes closed as he fell into the closest thing to sleep. Shaking his head, Mike smiled, biting back a laugh at the sight. A terrifying monster, now laid passed out in the passenger seat of his car. He was sure that Sam was smiling down at them, watching over them like she always had. That was who Sam was. 

Mike sighed to himself, pushing his head back. Would Sam be happy that Josh was back, especially in this form? 

~~~

Wolfie’s initial reaction to the half-wendigo was to growl, until Mike could prove how friendly he was. After that, Josh received a sniff, and the canine slept in the living room for the night- which Mike felt was odd, knowing how much he liked sleeping on the bed.

Out of all the ways Mike expected to wake up, opening his eyes to a face-full of sharp teeth was the last thing he thought of. Initially, he thought that Josh’s bad breath was what woke him up, or the weight of him sitting on his chest, until his brain fully accessed the situation. Saliva dripped onto his neck from Josh’s teeth as he tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes. Finally, he pressed a hand to Josh’s chest.

It was a poor attempt at keeping him away from ripping his throat out with his teeth. The half-wendigo let out a low growl, the lip on his human side twitching up into a snarl. He snapped his sharp teeth in Mike’s face, growling when Mike pushed him away by grabbing his one shoulder. Mike could sense the malicious intent that wasn’t well hidden in Josh’s actions, and the thought almost paralyzed him.

His own friend, trapped in the mind of a cannibalistic monster. Longing for the satisfaction of sinking his extra teeth into his throat and tearing it out at the speed of light. Mike pushed harshly against both of the wendigo’s shoulders, keeping his neck out of biting range. “Hey hey hey- Josh, man, snap out of it!” The creature let out an inhuman bark, pushing against Mike’s grip.

Mike hated it. He hated how familiar the situation was, and how natural it felt to want to attack the wendigo… but he couldn’t- he wouldn’t. With what humanity he’d seen in Josh before, he couldn’t bring himself to want to scare that part away. He wanted to reel Josh in, and bring him back out of this monstrous form. “Josh, man! I’m not your meal!” He grumbled, jabbing his finger around the wound on his shoulder.

The wendigo let out an ear-splitting scream, quickly bringing an arm up to grab at Mike’s forearm in the most human way possible. Mike grit his teeth, ignoring Josh’s grip to try and push him off again, this time with his fingers digging into his wound. He just needed to get Josh off, he didn’t need to bring out the fucking blow-torch. He needed to get those goddamn teeth out of his face before he had a panic attack.

When Josh didn’t budge, he used a bit more force to push him off, narrowly dodging a swipe from his talons. “I swear to fuck that if you eat me, I’ll make it so that your human side can’t have kids.” At his threat, the wendigo flared his nostrils, his tongue flicking out over his sharp teeth. Mike could feel a shiver go up his spine as Josh’s eyes scanned his face hungrily, until he hesitated.

Thankfully, his hesitation provided an opening for Mike to push him off to the side, sending him tumbling to the floor beside the bed. Late to the party, Wolfie padded into the room with his maw in a snarl, ferociously barking at the floored wendigo. Josh grunted, his eyes darting up immediately to look at Mike with what the other male could only describe as utter betrayal. Mike looked over at Wolfie.

His barking died down into intimidating growling, as if understanding that Mike was no longer in immediate danger, but still being cautious. On the other hand, Mike could only hear his heartbeat playing like a drumming festival in his ears. Amidst the betrayal in Josh’s eyes, there was evident confusion in his expression as if he had yet to acknowledge the fact that he tried to eat his friend.

What Mike saw was fear on the face of the real Josh, searching for an answer as to why Mike looked so terrified as well. Swallowing down any word he could conjure, Mike wiped the sweat from his forehead. Josh looked over at the canine, his mouth opening as if he wanted to say something, but he closed it quickly with a click of his sharp teeth. Wolfie huffed, his ears perking up with caution.

Had Josh not hesitated in that moment, Mike would’ve likely been wendigo food, which was disconcerting to think about.

~~~

In a matter of days, Josh’s behaviour drastically changed, as if a switch had been flipped in his subconscious. He suddenly grew more aware of his situation, and of where he was- as if he had been trapped in a daze. His attitude towards Mike and Wolfie grew colder, and more distanced compared to how he had been hours before… Mike chalked it up to the real Josh showing face after being trapped in his mind.

He wasn’t sure of what it could’ve been, but something must have struck a chord in Josh’s mind to send him reeling back to reality. Josh tried speaking, but it came out as stuttered gibberish. His eyes appeared more lifelike and green, though Mike could still make out just how clouded they were. The real punch to the gut was the sudden fear Josh displayed when Mike tried to get close to him.

The half wendigo stumbled backwards, his lips parted with unspoken words, and eyes wide like a deer in headlights. This wasn’t the Josh hidden behind a wendigo-shaped mask, but the real and genuine Josh that Mike had been with over a month ago down in the mineshaft. Mike held his hands up, a gesture that he hoped Josh took as peaceful. The fear in his eyes showed no decrease.

With a sudden yelp, Josh tumbled over a bump in the rug, slamming down onto the ground and then shuffling his body against the wall. Mike hesitantly lowered himself to Josh’s level, keeping his hands up. “Hey… buddy, calm down. You’re okay.” Wolfie slunk against the opposite wall, letting out a low whine which attracted Josh’s attention. Mike dug his nails into his palm, fighting the urge to scoop him up into a hug.

He looked terrified at the least, the same fear burning in his eyes as it had that night in the mines when Mike had slapped him out of crazy-land. This time Mike knew better- he took the time while recovering to research Josh’s mental issues. He had first hand experience dealing with PTSD- Josh was in better hands this time. Josh’s hands slowly rose to his ears, pulling his knees closer to his chest.

Mike’s eyebrows raised when he saw Josh’s lips twitch, like they were moving in a specific pattern. He was trying to speak, but the words weren’t coming out, and whatever he was trying to say was being repeated. “Josh, man… you’re okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.” Josh’s gaze flickered slightly over his shoulder, and his body went rigid in panic. And finally in the silence, Mike heard a sound he thought he would never hear.

For the first time in weeks, Josh ushered a word. “Please…” Although he was sure it had no good meaning behind it, it was a word and it made Mike almost giddy to hear after so long. Josh’s voice sounded coarse and gravelly, most likely from the misuse aside from the wendigo’s occasional scream. “Josh, hey hey, you’re okay.” Mike kept his voice soft and calm, biting his tongue when Josh looked back at him.

Instead of staring right through him, Josh stared him directly in the eyes. Mike’s breathing hitched as he tried to concentrate on what Josh said next. “Sam..? Sam..? Where…. Mike…” “Hey, hey.. I’m here, buddy. Take a deep breath.” Josh’s expression shifted slightly, his rigid posture slowly relaxing. “M-Mike… M-Mike?” Something in his voice would have gone unnoticed if Mike wasn’t paying so much attention to him. 

A low growl, barely audible over his already faint voice, as if two people were speaking- if he imagined that second voice as a wendigo. To any other person, it sounded like it was Josh talking with a cold- but Mike’s gut instinct bitterly reminded him that the wendigo could imitate people and their voices. His mind screamed that it was really Josh, but his entire body wanted to pull away. 

“Hey man… you’re okay. We’re safe.” He watched Josh’s eyes scan the room, and once he was somewhat more sure of his surroundings, the tension in his shoulders went lax. Mike was unfortunately and involuntarily aware of Josh’s newly displayed mental issues. He was aware that Josh could unfortunately see things that never skimmed the regular eye, so he understood the hesitation he displayed.

From the opposite wall, Wolfie finally got up, padding over to come and sniff the half-wendigo. Josh watched with cautious eyes, slowly raising his hand as Wolfie got closer, and taking a deep breath through his nose. Once the canine was satisfied that Josh meant no harm, he tilted his head into Josh’s touch, who gladly started scratching behind his ears. He looked a bit uncertain, or just lost, but Mike couldn’t decide which looked more correct.

The teeth made it more difficult than it should have been. “Where… what happened? We… we were...” He trailed off, cloudy green eyes moving up to look at the conflict on Mike’s face. “At the lodge, you mean?” Mike mumbled, clearing his throat. His first move; Figure out what Josh did or did not remember. If he was lucky, Josh knew about the deaths of their friends- if he wasn’t so lost in his mental prison.

They’d passed right by the majority of the bodies before they reached the water, Josh had to remember that, right? The cold water on his legs and abdomen should have pulled him the tiniest bit out of mental hell, right? Josh slowly nodded, his expression growing more uncertain around his jagged teeth. Was he even aware of his wendigo appendages? “The… the place… the-the…”

Josh squeezed his eyes shut, trying to pull up the memory in his fogged mind. Everything was a blur that he couldn’t yet make out, and he didn’t know how he ended up here. “The mineshaft?” Mike asked, and Josh nodded. “I-In the water… how did I get from the water… to here?” “First of all, what do you remember? From that night?” Josh’s eyebrows furrowed, vaguely displeased that Mike brushed off his question.

“The… the mines? I woke up there… I think.. You and Sam were there… yeah.” He swallowed, frowning as he tried to recall the events of the night. What led up to his journey in the mines was nothing but a blur, bringing on a head-splitting headache when he tried to recall how he ended up down there. Mike lowered himself until he could sit comfortably, placing his hand on Wolfie’s back.

The half-wendigo bit the inside of his cheek- and suddenly his hand shot up to the sharp teeth on the opposite side. Mike felt his entire nervous-system have a breakdown on the spot, freezing up as his brain tried to conjure up an explanation before the question could work its way out of Josh’s mouth. Now that he had to explain it, he wasn’t sure if he knew how to properly explain the situation.

Josh didn’t know about the wendigos on the mountain, Mike realized with pity. When he had seen Hannah that night, that was the first time Josh had heard anything about them- meaning Josh didn’t know about the curse that the stranger had mentioned. Josh looked at Mike, confused and seemingly more scared than he had been. “Wh-What..? Wh-What’s wrong with my face?”

He looked surprised when the teeth shifted as he spoke. Wolfie whistled, laying his head down on Josh’s foot. “That… That’s a long conversation. I-I can explain, uh, after… this.” Mike cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound stronger. “Josh, just tell me what you know.” “Was that thing real? In the water?” The urgency in Josh’s voice caught him off guard. He remembered Hannah’s distorted form.

“... yeah. Yeah, that thing was real. It’s called a wendigo-” “Why did it have Hannah’s tattoo?” Josh’s confusion melted into an emotion that Mike couldn’t define, but if he had to give it a label, Josh looked somewhat pissed. Somehow this was going over smoother than Mike had anticipated. “Do you remember calling it Hannah?” He asked, earning a sharp nod.

Whatever had washed over Josh moments ago to make him a stuttering and confused mess appeared to be wearing off rapidly. “Was… that thing Hannah? The wendigo? Did she… hurt our friends?” Mike’s throat began to feel like he was eating gravel. There were so many things to say… and yet he couldn’t think of a single one. His words were caught in his chest. And all Josh could do was stare.

“You.. you remember Sam saying that Hannah dug Beth up?” There was sudden sobriety in Mike’s tone that made Josh shiver. He only nodded, keeping his eyes low to avoid contact. “We found… a journal.. Beth’s grave.. Em found Beth’s head. It wasn’t anywhere near the grave.” Mike ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. Maybe it was because Josh wasn’t fully listening, but he was taking this well.

In actuality, Josh was going over what he did remember. Something was piecing together. He thought that he was imagining it.. one of the final memories from the mine. The sound of Hannah crying out for help echoing in unison with the ear-splitting cry of the wendigo she had supposedly become. He swallowed, shaking his head as he repeated his question. “Did Hannah kill our friends?”

That was the question that Mike had dreaded since the conversation started, and he could instantly feel his body clench and mouth turn sour. The look in Josh’s eyes made Mike swallow back a lump forming in his throat, and his forgotten guilt returned. Some part of him wished that Josh didn’t bring up the question… and he knew he wouldn’t take this easily. Mike knew what he had done.

He’d been too slow for Jessica. He’d shot Emily. He could have drawn Hannah’s attention to himself and saved Sam… but he failed. Josh needed to know. The memory of him pulling Ashley away from the door after witnessing Chris get decapitated played in the back of his mind. What had happened to Ashley? Or Matt? “What’s the last thing you remember from the mines, Josh?”

The half-wendigo shrunk against the wall, as if he had been preparing for Mike to come clean about the fates of their friends. “I-I-I… uh… I remember… being really cold. Freezing… like my fingers could fall off at any second. And… I… I was in the dark.. Everything hurt. And- I was… so hungry and I... “ Mike’s eyebrows shot to his hairline when Josh went really pale, his eyes widening at some sudden realization.

His hand shot up to cover his mouth- he felt like he was going to vomit. “D-Did I? Did I eat… Mike… Did I..? Was..?” Mike frowned, reaching his hand out to gently place on Josh’s knee. “W-Was Chris? Did he..? Die…? Did I… eat him?” Mike was sucking air through his teeth, wracking his brain over what response he could give him. He really didn’t know- but there was a possibility.

Suddenly, Josh’s expression went blank, and his eyes fell to the floor. Without asking questions, Mike simply grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him into his chest as the silent waterworks began.

~~~

Spring finally showed its face, bringing along a misty late night rain storm in its path. Rain fell sharply against the bedroom window, pounding heavily on the roof above them. His one arm drowned in dog fur, wrapped around the warmth of the wolf resting beside him. His other arm around the fragile waist of the half-wendigo, taking in the coolness of his body. Among the sounds of rain, Mike was drowning the silence. 

His ears could scarcely pick up the sound of Josh breathing gingerly, his human cheek resting on Mike’s shoulder. In the darkness, Mike’s eyes could roughly make out the shape of his sharp teeth, closed tightly to match his clenched jaw. He took a deep breath, running his thumb comfortingly down Josh’s side, fighting back a smile when he heard Josh sigh. Wolfie shifted in his sleep, stretching his legs out.

Mike enjoyed the rain storm more than the snow that had covered the ground not too long ago. It brought comfort, not the impending death feeling that the snowfall had. It felt easier to breathe in the cramped bed- hell, in the whole damn house. He finally felt like he could be free to leave, and that he wouldn’t have to imagine Hannah surrounding him as he left. She would be left behind in the snow.

He greatly preferred this noisy rainstorm to the cold snowfall, because at least it didn’t remind him of finding Jessica’s body at the bottom of that elevator shaft. It didn’t remind him of the screaming wendigo loop that had been playing in the crevices of his mind ever since the prank. He knew that it would be too bittersweet for all of his pain and trauma to suddenly leave- it would follow him.

Josh whimpered beside him, burying his face into the crook of his neck. Mike tightened his hold on him, squeezing his hip assuringly. He could roughly make out Josh’s silhouette in the darkness- and swallowed down a laugh. The poor half-wendigo was drowning in the sweater Mike had let him borrow, that he was certain once belonged to either Matt or Chris. Somehow Mike got his hands on it, and now Josh had it.

Josh’s fingers curled around Mike’s shirt, his talon-like claws unintentionally jabbing into his ribs. Wolfie huffed, curling his back feet in closer to his body. He couldn’t quite explain it, but there was something utterly serene about laying there. For the first time in months, his mind felt clear, and mostly wendigo free. Mike leaned his head against Josh’s, burying his nose in his dark hair with a smile.

While he wasn’t sure if Josh was awake, the half-wendigo tilted his head up to how he would be looking at Mike. Mike blinked a few times, laying his head back as he scanned the darkness for Josh’s stare. It wasn’t long before he felt like he was drowning in that green abyss, scanning him as if he was searching for something. “Josh?” Mike asked, raising his eyebrows. Josh stared at him for a minute.

They stayed like that, letting the silence sink in- aside from Wolfie’s occasional snore. Eventually Josh moved his eyes off of Mike, returning his head to its original position on his shoulder. His arm stretched across Mike’s torso, until his hand finally stopped at his hip. Mike could feel Josh working his jaw, clenching his teeth together. “Hey… are you alright? Josh?” The other male made a soft noise.

Beside Mike, Wolfie’s ears shot up, suddenly growing more aware of the worsening rainstorm outside. He let out a huff, burying his muzzle underneath the pillow. The wendigo extended his arm further, digging his fingers into the somewhat harsh fur of Wolfie’s mane. Mike wouldn’t ask any further questions. He’d rather assume that Josh was doing fine. “I don’t.. sleep much.” Josh whispered.

Mike offered a gentle smile, patting Josh’s hip. “I’ve noticed… are you okay?” Josh nodded tiredly, removing his hand from Wolfie’s fur, but leaving his arm across Mike’s chest. “Mike… can I ask you something?” He mumbled, taking a deep breath. Mike nodded. “What’s up?” “Do you think we’ll be okay..?”

To any other person, the question would have sounded like it came from a trauma survivor in recovery. Mike knew better by now- Josh’s question had a deeper meaning. Could they return to a somewhat normal life without their friends, and a new addition of some teeth and cannibalism? He fixed the position of his arm, holding the half-wendigo protectively at his side as he laid a gentle kiss to his hair.

Josh hummed softly, wrapping his leg around Mike’s. This felt right- it felt normal. As though it was meant to happen. “I think… we’ll manage. Once we get used to everything.” Mike mumbled, smiling gently when Wolfie shifted closer to his other side, fur brushing against Josh’s fingers. With a nod, Josh closed his eyes again, satisfied with Mike’s answer. Mike bit his tongue. “Hey, Josh…”

The other male raised his eyebrows with a curious hum. “I just wanna say… I know I’m not your favourite person. I know that… you weren’t mine for a while either.” Josh raised his head curiously, opening his eyes to try and make out Mike’s expression in the darkness of the room. “I know how badly you must be hurting. You were close to… to Sam and Chris. To everyone.” Mike swallowed dryly.

He wasn’t sure why he was saying any of this, but it felt good to get off of his chest. He felt good. “But… I’m really glad you’re okay, Josh. I’m glad you’re here- I don’t know what I would’ve done if none of my friends made it out of there… and…” He felt Josh shift so that he was laying more on him. “And I’m glad it was you, Josh. I’m glad that you made it out with me, even though we’re… a bit fucked up.”

Mike almost jumped at the sudden laugh that emerged from Josh’s chest, because he hadn’t expected it. The sound was heavenly against the pouring rain, and suddenly Mike realized how long it had been since he had heard Josh laugh. He realized how much he missed hearing him laugh, and how comforting Josh’s energy could be when he really thought about it. “You… out of all of our friends…”

Josh brought his hand up to wipe joyful tears from his eyes, slowly grinning from ear to ear. Mike raised an eyebrow, now realizing that he had no idea what Josh was laughing about. “What?” “Out of all of our friends, you’re glad to be stuck with me?” Mike couldn’t see his expression, but he knew that Josh was smiling. And somehow it made him smile too. “Yeah, dude. Not- I’m not saying out of all of our friends…

“I’m just saying that… I’m glad that you came back.” Slowly, Josh calmed down, gently patting Mike on his chest. He lowered his head onto his pec, letting out a soft sigh as his jagged teeth clicked against each other. “You know what, Munroe..? I’m… glad that it was you too…”

Somehow, Mike felt more at peace than he had before.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still trying to understand formatting so forgive me for any mishaps. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> I'm thinking of either some Climbing Class next, or some Mike and Jess. Not too sure... but this won't be the last you see of me. I'll keep this fandom alive in quarantine.  
> I also totally didn't re-read for any mistakes or whatever, so... I might've repeated myself a few times.


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